Port Adelaide's offer to half its SANFL zone rejected

PORT Adelaide was prepared to sacrifice half of its SANFL zone to field an AFL reserves team next year.

PORT Adelaide was prepared to sacrifice half of its SANFL zone to field an AFL reserves team next year.

The Advertiser can reveal Port put a revised offer to the SA Football Commission ahead of Tuesday night's meeting, which saw the Commission outline its preferred model for the inclusion of AFL reserves team in the SANFL.

While Port's proposal was ultimately rejected, the revelation it was prepared to hand over half its zone calls in to question the club's commitment to its SANFL arm and its motivation for rejecting the Commission's terms.

The Power has opted to maintain the status quo - leaving Ken Hinkley as the only AFL coach without a reserves side - so it can retain the Magpies' junior teams and zones next season.

Power chairman David Koch said the club decided it "could live with" losing half its zone after advice from the SANFL it was its best chance of having a reserves team approved.

"In the view of our football department and what we were trying to do we thought we could live with that," Koch said.

"We didn't think it would compromise us a great deal at all, that's the view that we took. We'd still have juniors, still have the Magpies, still the tradition continues.

"The encouragement by the look of it was wrong but that's South Australian football politics. I'm used to that now - or getting used to it."

Koch said the club didn't reach the point of discussing which part of its zone - which includes the Le Fevre and Eyre peninsulas - would be handed over to its SANFL rivals.

The revised offer - which saw Port increase the amount of its zone it was initially prepared to give up from 25 to 50 per cent - bemused some SANFL clubs at Tuesday's meeting given how loudly Port has trumpeted its commitment to its zone in recent weeks.

There was also scepticism around the Magpies' ability to field competitive under-16 and under-18 sides with half a zone.

"I'm no expert in this but the coaching staff and the club thought that would still be viable," Koch said.

Port chief executive Keith Thomas is in the United States on an AFL equalisation study tour and was unavailable for interview on Wednesday.

In a prepared statement released Wednesday morning he confirmed the club would maintain the status quo next year.

"We are disappointed but not surprised by the SANFL commission's preferred model," Thomas said.

"Accordingly we will opt for the status quo in 2014, and reassess our options beyond that.

"We will continue to pursue the goal of creating an AFL development side as a matter of priority."

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